{
    "term": "idea",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a plan, thought or suggestion, especially about what to do in a particular situation",
            "sensetop": "idea for somethingidea of somethingidea of doing something",
            "labels": "(North American English usually)",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It would be **a good idea** to call before we leave."
                },
                {
                    "text": "That's a **great idea**!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I’ve had a brilliant idea!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I knew this was a **bad idea**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The party's latest **big idea** is to create a Centre for Teaching Excellence."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The surprise party was Jane's idea."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He already **had an idea** for his next novel.",
                    "contextForm": "idea for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We’re having a meeting to try to come up with ideas for fundraising."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea of a new museum was first discussed two years ago.",
                    "contextForm": "idea of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I **like the idea** of living on a boat.",
                    "contextForm": "idea of doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We've been **toying with the idea of** *(= thinking about)* getting a dog."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her family expected her to go to college, but she had **other ideas**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't know what to do, but I'm **open to ideas**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**It might be an idea** *(= it would be sensible)* to try again later."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**It seemed like a good idea at the time**, and then it all went horribly wrong."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Ben is the **ideas man** and the others do the day-to-day work."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Ben is the **idea man**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Brainstorming is a good way of generating ideas."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We're always looking for new ideas."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do you have any ideas for a present for Lara?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Family therapy is used as an alternative idea to medication."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Give careful thought to how to structure your ideas in the essay."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Group counselling is used as an alternative idea to punishment."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He joined the company as an office assistant with big ideas."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She kept turning the idea of resigning over in her mind."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He's obsessed with the idea of getting a motorbike."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her ideas are drawn mainly from Chinese art."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His ideas flowed faster than he could express them."
                },
                {
                    "text": "How could we translate the idea into business reality?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I have an idea about how to tackle the problem."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I hope he's not still harbouring ideas about asking me out."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I met up with a designer to bounce a few ideas around."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I think the whole idea is ridiculous."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I wanted to put the idea out there."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I wanted to take the week off, but my boss had other ideas."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'm toying with the idea of leaving my job."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It might be an idea to leave a note on the door for Marcos."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was a struggle to get our ideas across."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's useful to have someone to bounce ideas off."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The study found that 47 per cent of Britons would not welcome the idea of a cashless society."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She accused the company of stealing her idea."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He had the idea of advertising on social media."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Some people started recycling, and the idea caught on."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Some students started wearing denim, and the idea caught on."
                },
                {
                    "text": "That idea didn't work out so well."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The book introduces the key ideas of sociology."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The book puts across complex ideas in a way anyone can understand."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The germ of his idea came from watching a bird make a nest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea behind the ceremony is to keep the gods happy to ensure a good crop."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea eventually led to the invention of the telephone."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea for the Olympics originated with Pierre de Coubertin."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea for the invention came to him in the bath."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea had long been mooted but nothing had been done to put it into practice."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea has now blossomed into a successful mail-order business."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The movie is based on a simple idea, but a powerful one."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They managed to push the idea of expanding through the committee."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We were asked to suggest ideas for improving efficiency."
                },
                {
                    "text": "What gave you the idea to go freelance?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a system of decision-making that stifles original ideas"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He's definitely an ideas person."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'd like to explore this idea in a bit more detail."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I've got a good idea."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
                },
                {
                    "text": "My original idea was to use amateur actors."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She's always full of bright ideas."
                },
                {
                    "text": "That's a brilliant idea!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The basic idea is that we all meet up in London."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We need to have a meeting in order to bounce a few ideas around."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Who on earth came up with that idea?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's a great forum for sharing ideas."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You need to support your ideas with concrete examples."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Let's develop this idea a little further."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The conference is an opportunity for an exchange of ideas."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Suggestions and advice"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["bright", "brilliant", "clever"],
                "verb + idea": ["have", "come up with", "dream up"],
                "idea + verb": [
                    "come into somebody’s brain",
                    "come into somebody’s head",
                    "come into somebody’s mind"
                ],
                "preposition": ["idea about", "idea for", "idea of"],
                "phrases": [
                    "be open to ideas",
                    "the germ of an idea",
                    "have other ideas"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a picture or an impression in your mind of what somebody/something is like",
            "sensetop": "idea (of something)",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The brochure should give you **a good idea of** the hotel."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I had **some idea of** what the job would be like."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This film changed the **very idea** of what an outer space movie could be."
                },
                {
                    "text": "An evening at home watching TV is not my idea of a good time."
                },
                {
                    "text": "If this is your idea of a joke, then I don’t find it very funny."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't want anyone **getting the wrong idea** *(= getting the wrong impression about something)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I had an idea of where it might be."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He gave me a rough idea of what was wanted."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Swimming in an icy river is not my idea of fun."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea of going to his rescue amused her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They seem to have got the idea that we will be giving them a lift."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't relish the idea of sharing an office with Tony."
                },
                {
                    "text": "People have a romantic idea of the police force."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["clear", "concrete", "precise"],
                "verb + idea": ["get", "espouse", "have"],
                "idea + verb": [
                    "amuse somebody",
                    "appeal to somebody",
                    "please somebody"
                ],
                "preposition": ["idea about", "idea behind", "idea of"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "an opinion or a belief about something",
            "sensetop": "ideas about somethingideas on somethingideas of somethingidea that…",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the experiences that shaped her ideas"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He has some very strange ideas about education.",
                    "contextForm": "ideas about something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her ideas on the family are pretty old-fashioned.",
                    "contextForm": "ideas on something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "These photographs challenge conventional ideas of beauty.",
                    "contextForm": "ideas of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She rejects the idea that product quality has suffered.",
                    "contextForm": "idea that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They had to reconsider their ideas in the light of new evidence."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He has some funny ideas about how to motivate staff."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She has very definite ideas about what kind of a job she wants."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He holds very different ideas to mine about discipline."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She always tries to impose her own ideas on the rest of the team."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["clear", "concrete", "precise"],
                "verb + idea": ["get", "espouse", "have"],
                "idea + verb": [
                    "amuse somebody",
                    "appeal to somebody",
                    "please somebody"
                ],
                "preposition": ["idea about", "idea behind", "idea of"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "a feeling that something is possible or is true",
            "sensetop": "idea that…idea where, who, etc…",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Where on earth did you **get that idea**?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "What **gave you the idea** that he'd be here?",
                    "contextForm": "idea that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I have a pretty **good idea** where I left it—I hope I'm right.",
                    "contextForm": "idea where, who, etc…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I have a pretty good idea who might have said that."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea never crossed my mind."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea that I was only interested in making money is ludicrous."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The idea that she was involved in any way is absolutely ridiculous."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Whatever gave you that idea?"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "the aim or purpose of something",
            "sensetop": "idea of somethingidea of doing somethingwith the idea of doing something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You'll soon **get the idea** *(= understand)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**What's the idea** of the game?",
                    "contextForm": "idea of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The **whole idea** of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend.",
                    "contextForm": "idea of doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They buy other people's tickets with the idea of reselling them.",
                    "contextForm": "with the idea of doing something"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to start behaving in a more acceptable way, so that work gets done better, etc.",
            "labels": "(British English, informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to give somebody hopes about something that may not be possible or likely; to make somebody act or think in an unreasonable way",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Who's been putting ideas into his head?"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to emphasize that you do not know something",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "‘What's she talking about?’ ‘I've no idea.’"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He hasn't the faintest idea how to manage people."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I had no idea she’d had such a difficult life."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don’t have any idea where he is."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She doesn't seem to have any idea of what I'm talking about."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I haven't got the faintest idea what she meant."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He hadn't had the slightest idea about what had been going on."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to have found a very good or successful way of living, doing something, etc.",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He's certainly got the right idea—retiring at 55."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The party had the right idea, but failed to win over the voters."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Success"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to reply in a positive way to a suggestion that somebody has made",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Hey, that's an idea! And we could get a band, as well."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to encourage people and to tell them that they are doing something right",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "That's the idea! You're doing fine."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to show that something is hard for somebody else to imagine",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You've no idea how much traffic there was tonight."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/aɪˈdɪə/",
                "audio": "id/idea/idea__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/aɪˈdiːə/",
                "audio": "id/idea/idea__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English (as a term in Platonic philosophy): via Latin from Greek idea ‘form, pattern’, from the base of idein ‘to see’."
}